


The Morning and Evening Thieves

by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Competition, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Falling In Love, Kissing, M/M, Masks, Venice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-14
Updated: 2013-04-14
Packaged: 2017-12-08 12:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/761554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles/pseuds/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur, the Evening Thief, and Eames, the Morning Thief, compete among the canals of Venice and end up falling in love in the process.</p><p> <a href="http://havingafoodfightonthemoon.tumblr.com/post/47910722103/the-morning-and-evening-thieves">Inspired by these amazing drawings of Arthur and Eames in masks</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Morning and Evening Thieves

**Author's Note:**

> **You can check out[here](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/) to follow my Tumblr for info about me and story updates.**

The lock clicked open and Arthur released the breath he had been holding. Barely containing his excitement Arthur pulled the safe open... and scowled. The safe was completely empty, save for a small folded note with a single earring sitting on top. Arthur huffed and picked up both, looking over the earring first. It was beautifully crafted to be sure – a dangling crescent moon of the finest blackened metal – but it was _not_ the diamond encrusted gold necklace he had been expecting.

 

Arthur unfolded the note next, reading the messy scrawl in the darkness.

 

_Better luck next time –E_

 

The sound of a door opening two floors down caught Arthur’s attention and he shoved both the note and the earring into one of the inner pockets of his cloak. When they were secure he closed the safe and dashed back to the open window, closing it behind him before stepping up onto the small balcony’s railing. He didn’t bother looking down to the canals below, instead pulling himself up onto the roof and disappearing into the shadows of the night.

 

#

 

Eames meandered lazily along the cobblestone, making no show of having any particular destination in mind. His mark was just ahead of him, gawking at the brightly-painted masks covering rows and rows of stalls along the canal. She was a rich aunt of a wealthy family of Venice, here for a spring visit with a purse heavily-laden with gold ready to be spent on whatever trivial nonsense caught her eye.

 

It was Eames’ duty to ensure that gold was spent more wisely.

 

Although it was discomforting for him to be following a mark without his mask, he made no show of it. Eames kept his mark in sight until his chance came. He stepped forward and bumped her in passing, plucking her coin purse from her belt and continuing on, not turning back to offer an apology as she cursed the ill-mannered ruffians of the street.

 

Eames waited until he was five blocks away and tucked in a shadowed alley before pulling the coin purse open. What he dug out was a single silver earring; a dangling sun that caught the sunlight at any angle. It had not been what Eames was aiming for but he grinned anyway, pleased with what had been left for him.

 

#

 

“It looks good on you.” Arthur had not heard Eames’ approaching footsteps on the tiled roof but he was not surprised; the Morning Thief always seemed to find him at twilight, when neither their domain of morning or evening reigned. “It suits your nose.”

 

At that Arthur smiled privately to himself, wiping it away as Eames finally sat down beside him on the roof. Arthur was already donning his crow mask, ready for another night of work, so it wasn’t a compliment. Still, he lifted a hand and touched the crescent moon dangling from his left ear briefly. “How can I help you this evening?”

 

Eames settled on Arthur’s left, his own mask covering his face as the two of them faced out to watch the sun sink below the distant waters. “I wanted to thank you for my new addition.”

 

Arthur glanced over, mildly surprised to see the sun dangling from Eames’ right ear. For some reason he had expected Eames to toss it. “I can’t say it salvages your nose even slightly.”

 

Eames laughed outright; it was a very rich, warming sound. “I like it all the same.” Arthur ignored the stupid flutter in his chest that had become annoyingly familiar whenever he had these run-ins with Eames. When Arthur said nothing Eames started up a new conversation. “Have any big plans for the evening?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Can’t a man be curious?” Eames leaned a little closer. Arthur said nothing and Eames sighed, looking back to the dimming horizon. “The offer still stands, you know.”

 

Arthur stood briskly; it was almost time for him to begin work now that the shadows were taking control of the city. “I work alone. You would only get in my way.”

 

“I like being in your way,” Eames teased.

 

“Hence the problem,” Arthur said and left, moving away quicker than Eames could follow him, though he knew Eames would not pursue him.

 

#

 

Eames watched Arthur from across the hall of masquerading dancers. He would recognize that crow mask and earring anywhere. It was bold of Arthur to dress as himself for the masquerade but so too was it bold of Eames to do the same. Perhaps they were a little too addicted to the thrill of danger, or maybe they had developed an even more dangerous habit of wanting the other to pick them out of a crowd.

 

He knew Arthur had seen him but the Evening Thief was ignoring him. They had both chosen this venue to make some personal gains, knowing all of the party attendees would be drunk, joyous and unsuspicious of two of many masks in the crowd. Eames had already collected his pickings for the night and was now waiting for Arthur to collect his last. A gold watch left the pocket of a well known opera singer and then Arthur disappeared into the shadows and Eames followed.

 

Arthur could have shaken him off; Arthur was skilled at stealth while Eames flourished in the act of charming observers and playing normal. Arthur didn’t leave Eames behind though. He made it just easy enough for Eames to follow him if he was truly determined – which he was – and Eames caught Arthur’s wrist right before he disappeared out of a servant’s door onto a side street and into the shadows once more.

 

Arthur tensed but didn’t fight as Eames led Arthur to a small alcove away from foot traffic, tucking them behind a large vase of flowers – one that would be worth a shiny coin but was definitely too heavy to move. Eames pressed Arthur back against the wall as much as he could while avoiding the nose of his crow mask. “Here to steal my gold?” Arthur wondered.

 

“It’s not your gold I’m interested in,” Eames said honestly. He lifted his hands tentatively to the underside of Arthur’s mask, beginning to pull it up before Arthur slapped his hand away. Changing his strategy, Eames captured both of Arthur’s hands and pressed them against his own mask, leading him in a silent offer.

 

One of Arthur’s hands stayed on his mask while the other slid down to touch Eames’ right bicep. “Is this for me?” Arthur asked, tracing the new ink on his skin.

 

“Maybe,” Eames said, though he knew it was obvious. If the ‘ _A_ ’ didn’t give it away, the crow’s feather crossing the two lines to complete the letter certainly did.

 

Arthur traced the tattoo for a long moment and even though it was just fingers on his arm Eames felt his spine tingling. Then Arthur hesitantly pulled Eames’ hat off and pushed his mask up onto his forehead. As far as Eames knew this was the first time Arthur had seen his face, though it was possible that Arthur had spied on him on occasion when Eames was completing a job acting as a normal civilian.

 

It was Arthur’s face that was a complete mystery to him. Arthur always wore his mask when he worked. Eames knew at some point Arthur must walk the streets dressed normally to go to market and complete other chores. But despite Eames’ efforts, Arthur was as elusive in the day as the shadows with which he hid. So it was no wonder why Eames’ heart was skipping beats when Arthur allowed Eames to remove his hat and push the crow mask up.

 

Eames lost his breath when he saw Arthur’s face, captivated by Arthur’s beauty after imagining his face for so long. Arthur was staring in return and Eames considered that enough reason to take a risk. With his right hand holding Arthur’s hat, Eames lifted his left hand to cup Arthur’s face and leaned in. Arthur didn’t pull away and instead met him halfway as their lips brushed shyly and then kissed with more certainty.

 

Eames’ eyes slid closed as he pressed closer, Arthur’s free hand gently winding around Eames’ shoulder. The party was forgotten, the sounds of music and laughter fading away. Eames could only focus on the taste of Arthur’s lips against his own. He had dreamt of this, wished for it, and now he finally felt complete.

 

Their union was cut short by the sound of cries of outrage and an alarm bell being rung. Eames and Arthur sprang apart and hurriedly handed back each other’s hats, pulling their masks in place and resettling their hats snugly on their heads. Then Eames clasped Arthur’s hand and together they ran out of the servant door onto the streets to disappear. More shouts of anger followed them and Eames laughed as Arthur grinned. Eames shifted their direction towards his modest flat and Arthur matched his pace. Together they stopped running away from the danger behind them and instead started running towards their union.

 

**Author's Note:**

> **You can check out[here](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/) to follow my Tumblr for info about me and story updates.**


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